Daily Times

RAWALPINDI: Chief of Army Staff General Raheel Sharif on Tuesday inaugurated multiple development projects in South and North Waziristan, the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) said in a statement.

The army chief inaugurated the projects, including the 72km long Miranshah–Razmak-Makeen dual carriage road which is part of the 705km Central Trade Corridor, as part of the post operation comprehensive rehabilitation plan for FATA.

The road, constructed by the Frontier Works Organisation (FWO), will considerably reduce traveling time between North and South Wazirstan.

General Raheel Sharif also inaugurated a 100-bed modern Sheikha Fatima Binte Mubarak hospital at Sholam in South Waziristan, added the ISPR statement.

It said that the army chief, after inaugurating the projects, spent his day with the troops. “The army chief spent his day with soldiers of the Pakistan Army and local tribesmen while reviewing operations for rehabilitation of the temporary displaced persons (TDPs).”

The army chief’s visit comes as the ongoing military operation Zarb-e-Azb continues in the tribal areas. Operation Zarb-e-Azb began on June 15, 2014 following a brazen terrorist attack on Karachi airport and the failure of peace talks between the government and the outlawed Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP).

Most areas of the erstwhile safe haven of homegrown and foreign militants have been purged. Tens of thousands of tribesmen displaced by fighting have started returning to their homes in the areas cleared by the military. In April this year, the military announced that terrorists had been driven out of their last bastion in North Waziristan Agency, announcing the completion of the final phase of the massive operation launched in mid-June 2014.